With a respectful nod to Don Brown, a now-retired ZTL controller who helped popularize the phrase, a “flick” is the “big picture.” In the ATC biz, this typically refers to traffic load, major runway flow directions, widespread poor weather, staffing/sectorization and a host of other factors. In other words, strategic information. Pilots need the same overview of the conditions they should expect to encounter, and not just those related to weather. This is often referred to as situational awareness, but that’s too many syllables.
Of course, with the power to make our own operational decisions also comes the responsibility to consider aspects beyond the basic weather/runway variables the FAA requires. The FARs, after all, are minimum requirements. We’re free to exceed them. What are some of those aspects? Are they all operational in nature, or should we consider other items? Let’s explore.
